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18,355 Yards Later, Emmitt Smith Retires

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 3 - Emmitt Smith, the shifty, sturdy running back who set the N.F.L. career rushing mark and provided the heartbeat of the Dallas Cowboys' championship run during the 1990's, retired Thursday after 15 years of barreling through the league with steady brilliance.

Dabbing his eyes and sitting with a pair of Dallas Cowboys helmets, Smith made the announcement alongside his wife, Pat, and Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' owner and Smith's employer for 13 seasons in the league before he played his final two with the Arizona Cardinals.

"I think it is fitting for me to leave the game of football and move on with my life," the 35-year-old Smith said during a news conference here. "I've given everything I can possible to the game, on and off the field."

Smith's retirement had been rumored since Tuesday, when he denied reports he would retire. He said Thursday that he had received offers from other teams to extend his career after the Cardinals decided against re-signing him.

Having deliberated with his family, Smith chose to walk away after rushing for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns, both records. He broke Walter Payton's N.F.L. mark of 16,726 yards in October 2002, his final season in Dallas.

"You don't know what that star means to me," Smith said, touching one of the helmets and then turning to Jones. "The Super Bowls are great, but to have you believe in me in the manner you did, to believe in a kid from Pensacola, Fla. I am truly in debt to you, and I love you."

Jones, who clashed with Smith in a contract dispute during the 1993 season and ultimately released him in 2003, said Smith looked for every advantage, every day, to become the best player he could.

Jones then said Smith had high respect for the game and for his teammates. "And I love you, too," Jones told him.

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With several of his former colleagues looking on, including fullback Daryl Johnston, safety Darren Woodson and Cardinals Coach Dennis Green, Smith thanked his teammates from peewees to the pros.

He said he would sign a one-day contract with the Cowboys later this month to officially end his career with the team that drafted him out of the University of Florida and watched him become the face of a franchise at 5 feet 10 inches and 215 pounds.

Along with quarterback Troy Aikman and receiver Michael Irvin, Smith led Dallas into memorable playoff games with the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers.

With Smith finishing off scoring drives with his exceptional balance and vision, the Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl in 1993 and 1994 and bested the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996.

Smith set the goal of breaking Payton's record when he was rookie in 1990, putting his desire down on a piece of paper and never letting the thought go.

Smith said he would look into entering the business world or becoming a sports commentator. He denied that he was part of group interested in buying the Minnesota Vikings.

Smith sounded excited as a new generation of running backs gives chase to his rushing record.

"It will be broken," Smith said before listing the qualities to do so. "It takes durability, grace, desire and a short-term memory to get that far. You have to forget what you did before to get up that mountain."